Toe-weight



(No Model.) I A M. HEAGERTY.

TOE WEIGHT. Patented Nov. 22, 1892.

INVE NT UR= WITNESSES:

Q. qkukmm" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MIOHEAL HEAGERTY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

TOE-WEIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,671, dated November 22, 1892.

Application filed July 25, 1892. Serial No. 441,226. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MIOHEAL HEAGERTY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toe-Weights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a toe-weight for horses feet. As is well known, these weights are applied to the front of the hoof when training horses to trot.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple construction for attaching and detaching the weight from the supporting-shank.

In the drawings, Figure 1 isa front view of the toe-weight and part of the shoe. Fig. 2 is a side View of the toe-weight and a section of the shoe. Fig. 3 is a view of part of the shoe and the shank to which the weight is to be attached. Fig. 4 is an inner side or back view of the toe-weight separate from the shank to which it is to be attached. Fig.5 is atop view of the weight. Fig. 6 is a crosssection of the weight and shank on the line 6 6, Fig. 1. Figs. 7 and 8 show a slight modification from the construction shown in Figs. 6 and 3. In this case the shank has a notch in its front side instead of in one of its beveled sides, as in the other figures.

The shank A before attachment to the shoe has at one end bifurcated prongs b, which take over the toe of the shoe 0, as shown in Fig. 2, and are then united to the shoe by hotforging. While being united to the shoe the shank extends longitudinally in the same plane as the shoe, as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 2. The shank is then bent or turned up, so as to have upright position in front of the hoof. The shank slightly tapers in breadth from the lower to the upper end, and the two opposite tapered sides d are beveled, and a notch e is in one of said sides.

The weight F has at its back a tapered groove g, adapted to fit the said shank. This groove in cross-section is dovetailed to hold on to the beveled sides (1 of the shank. As seen in the section view, Fig. 6, the weight has a bored recess h extending crosswise and occupied by aspring catch or bolt'i. The bolt has a lateral lug j, which normally projects through an opening is, communicating from the recess to the dovetailed groove. The head i of the bolt projects at one side of the weight.

The recess h in the weight has one end closed by a suitable plug it, which is secured to its position in any desired manner so as to prevent it from coming out. A spring Z in the recess It bears against the said plug and the bolt 2' and keeps the latter in its normal position where the lateral lug j engages with the notch e on the shank. It will be seen that the spring-bolt has endwise niovementin the recess h, and when moved in by pressure on the head 1) the lateral lug j disengages from the notch on the shank.

The spring-bolt enables the ready attachment and detachment of the weight, and its position in the weight, with its head 'i at one of the vertical sides, renders it convenient for detachment when desired, while it is not liable to be accidentally detached.

Figs. 7 and 8 show that the notch in the shank may be on the front side instead of on the beveled side. In these figures the notch is designated by c.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a horseshoe, an upright shank secured to said shoe and having two opposite sides beveled and provided with a notch, a weight having a dovetailed groove to receive the said shank and provided with a bored recess having an opening kcoinmunicating therefrom to the said groove, and a spring-bolt occupying the said recess and having a lateral lugj, which projects through the said opening, as shown and described.

2. In a toe-weight, the combination of a shank having two opposite sides beveled and provided with a notch, a weight having adovetailed groove to receive the said shank and provided with a bored recess having an opening it communicating therefrom to the said groove, a plug closing one end of said recess, a bolt occupying the recess and having a lateral lug which projects through the said opening, and a spring between said'plug and bolt, as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MICHEAL HEAGERTY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES W. Dress, F. PARKER DAVIS. 

